A government decision to override a local development plan in the historic town of Celbridge may have bigger implications for councils across Ireland.

Last month Minister of State for the Department of Housing, Damien English stepped in to overturn the Kildare town’s local area plan in favour of a controversial development on a stretch of open-space land called Donaghcumper, which would have a massive impact on residents and businesses on the main street.

Depending on the planning that’s submitted, the development could also affect the views from one of Ireland’s top tourist destinations, Castletown House.

Local councillors voted strongly against the proposal to transform the natural beauty spot, which is separated from the town by the River Liffey, into a commercial, retail and residential development.

Read More

Despite this and thousands of submissions including over 200 letters from residents against the proposal, the Minister issued a directive on November 10 to the council which will see the area zoned for development.

His directive cited a need to ensure that a new housing development is matched by the scope to develop an expanded town centre.

He said the current plan did not provide for a sequential approach to the zoning of land where land closest to the town centre and public transport is prioritised.

Many locals and councillors have disagreed strongly with this and feel this move will "kill" the town of Celbridge, diminish its charm and ruin its future as a major Irish tourist attraction.

But on a larger scale, the issue shows the fragility of local decision making and begs the question, what’s the point of spending months strategising a local area plan, in-keeping with the wishes of residents, when the Government can step in and decide the ultimate outcome?

Local TD, Frank O’Rourke believes the Minister’s decision flies in the face of local decision making.

North Kildare TD Frank O'Rourke

He told Dublin Live: “The proposal completely undermines democracy because the purpose of a local area plan is that a proposal is done up by the Kildare County Council planners for the Director of Services. That goes out on public display and the public make submissions as to what their opinion on it is.

“To be fair, the people engaged in their hundreds and their thousands in this plan in terms of what they see the future of Celbridge will be.

“Given this decision made by the Minister and the Government, those submissions were essentially worthless, so going forward, encouraging people to engage with their community development will be extremely difficult.”

The Fianna Fail TD also argues that this undermines the role of the local councillors.

There are seven councillors who represent the Celbridge Leixlip Municipal District. On this issue of Donaghcumper alone, only two voted in favour of its zoning as a commercial, retail and residential town centre.

Frank O’Rourke said: “This is the role of the councillor; to adopt a local area plan and to put forward the voices of their community. The Government’s decision has completely undermined that.

“What the Government has said to the people of Celbridge is, we want your time, we want your engagement but we’re not going to listen to it.”

Castletown House near Celbridge

Speaking with Dublin Live, lifetime resident of Celbridge, Nuala Walker said the move by the government was an almost fascist overtaking of the local will of the people.

Read More

Nuala, who is a member of the Celbridge Action Alliance, a group of people who aim to maintain Celbridge as a historic town said: “To have a minister, who at the scratch of a pen could override all of the appeals made by the local people, by the local councillors – it doesn’t make sense.

“The Minister doesn’t seem to appreciate how much it matters to us to keep this area. It matters for the future.

“It felt like a dictatorship. To override the views of our county councillors and over200 letters and thousands of submissions, I just don’t understand it.”

These feelings were also echoed by local Councillor Anthony Larkin who has concerns that influences on the planning system are outweighing the will of local communities.

In an interview with the Limerick Leader, he added: “If this continues, I expect to see the day when planning authorities are reduced to the role of appealing to the whims of absentee decision-makers in Dublin – who do not have to live among the communities they preside over.”

Dublin Live Campaign

Through a series of features over the coming days and weeks, Dublin Live will put this controversial decision under the microscope and look at the impact of Mr English's move to step in and 'ride roughshod' over the council’s Local Area Plan in favour of plans that go against the desires of the overwhelming majority of Celbridge locals.

We will also look at evidence which would suggest the reasoning behind the order can’t simply be to provide more housing units and improve the locality – especially given that the Minister has denied residential development on a prime area proposed by the council.

After all, as former Kildare North TD Emmet Stagg put it: "What is the point in having a Public Consultation if the expressed view of the public and local councillors is going to be overridden by the minister and his department?”